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Meet the Pups!

I didn’t post yesterday. Whoops. As an update, I rode on Monday, and Copper was great. He was very focused and actually sidepassed both ways (I know this is a small feat, but he’s been a twit about it lately). Since he was being so reactive to my legs, I decided to play with half passes some and we actually trotted a half pass successfully. After that I called it a day and gave the red pony big scratches and love. I didn’t ride yesterday because I had a couple of other things to do. I plan to ride after doing some chores at the barn tonight though.

In non-horse related news, I need to introduce my pups, one of which, Ariel, has been weighing on my mind a lot lately. They’re both rescues.

“Hi, we’re cute!”

Sampson came from a Great Dane rescue in NC and was found wandering as a stray with another dog in Georgia. We don’t know what his story was, but we’re thrilled that he’s with us now. He’s the biggest love bug and is my dream dog. Ever since I was a kid, I wanted a dane, but my parents never allowed animals in the house, so that was a no-go. Once Jason and I got married and moved into our own place, we decided that we wanted to get a dog, and of course I knew exactly what I wanted, so we started looking at rescues. Like all people, we adore puppies, but our lifestyle wasn’t conducive to supervising a puppy all the time and we were anxious about the potty training aspect of dog ownership, so we decided that an older dog would probably be the best match for us. We drove two hours down to a event the rescue was having to look at the adoptable dogs that they had at the time and the female that we were initially interested in was already gone. I had previously marked Sampson off of our list because he was heartworm positive, and as new dog owners, we didn’t know much about heartworms. We were apprehensive about taking on the challenge of a heartworm positive dog, but Sampson didn’t know that and reeled us in as soon as we met him. Prior to meeting Sampson, Jason wasn’t 100% sold on the idea of a Great Dane, but Sampson changed all of that. Jason was so enamored with Sampson that when we returned from NC, he immediately started construction on fencing in our yard, a requirement to adopt from the rescue. We were so worried that someone else would adopt him before we were qualified. Luckily for us (at the time…not now. ha.) Sampson doesn’t like other dogs a whole lot, so he alienated a few potential adopters that way. We’ve had some hurdles along the way with Sampson. At first they were reluctant to adopt him to us since we had never owned a dane, worried that he would intimidate us since he did have a couple behavioral issues to work through. Once they got to know us, they seemed less concerned with that and allowed him to come home with us!

Ariel came from a local animal shelter after the rescue that she was being fostered by got into some legal trouble. They had previously pulled her from a different local shelter. Ariel is a very sweet dog, but is so shy that in a shelter situation she wasn’t the least bit interested in people who would come through to adopt a dog. She cowered in the corner, shaking, and had to be dragged out of her kennel for potential adopters to meet her. She didn’t get very warm even after she was out of the kennel, so we weren’t surprised that she hadn’t been adopted. We saw something in her when we met her though (or just felt so sorry for her that we couldn’t leave her there) and brought her home with us, hoping that Sampson would like her or at least tolerate her. She is still shy when strangers come over to the house, and it took her a couple weeks to get comfortable with Jason since she is more afraid of men. Now she is his little princess and has him wrapped around her paw.

Ariel isn’t spoiled at all…

Sampson and Ariel have fought twice, but they seem to be on good terms now. She hasn’t allowed him to bully her, and he’s allowed her to be part of the family. Their main point of contention has been over sharing me. Jealous, jealous pups.

The reason that Ariel has been weighing on my mind lately is because she’s been sick. She’s been upset to her stomach and vomiting for the last few days, but has still been using the bathroom normally and inhaling her food, so I thought maybe she just didn’t feel well. Well, imagine my surprise when this morning she threw up a 5″x7″ piece of a fleece blanket! Hopefully this will be the end of her current stomach upset. We will be watching her very closely now to be sure she doesn’t eat things that aren’t edible. Meanwhile I’m just grateful that it didn’t have to be surgically removed. Oh Ariel…

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Hi, I’m Sarah and I own a farm in rural SWVA where I board a couple horses and keep my small (but growing) herd. I use this space to chronicle my life with my four legged friends, both equine and canine and am glad to have you tune in! :)

Recent Posts

Paige is my most reliable mount. She is a 18 year old American Quarter horse. She is the mother of my APHA colt by Hollywood Reminic and the reason I still enjoy horses.

Copper is the only gelding in my personal herd. He is a 11 year old Appaloosa who is remarkably versatile. We’ve fought Lyme disease and some other weird lameness issues the last couples years, but hope to try our hand at dressage one day.

Joey is a 2017 dunskin colt by Hollywood Reminic and out of my AQHA mare, Paige. I am very lucky to have this little guy to bring along and I look forward to the journey.

Robin is a 16 year old breeding stock Paint mare that has been my big pet since she was a weanling and I was 12. If you’re asking who really owns the farm? It’s this mare. ;)

Emma, Chloe, Russell, and Poppy are the barn clowns. These mini donkeys have more personality than ears, if you can believe that. Poppy is Chloe and Russell’s 2017 baby.

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